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Man dies trying to save tied-up dog from oncoming train, Mississippi deputies say

A man was hit and killed by a train while trying to move a dog to safety in Forrest County, Mississippi, deputies say. The dog was also killed.
A man was hit and killed by a train while trying to move a dog to safety in Forrest County, Mississippi, deputies say. The dog was also killed. Photo by Jude Infantiti via Unsplash

A man and a dog were killed in an “unfortunate incident” with a train in Mississippi, deputies said.

The crash happened Thursday, Aug. 24, in Maxie, the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Authorities identified the victim as Johnathon Powell, 54.

Investigators said Powell, another man and a dog were headed to a fishing spot near Moffett Road and Old Highway 49 South. They tied the dog up nearby but not on the train tracks, according to deputies.

Soon after, the men heard a train coming and went to check on the dog, the release said. Powell saw the animal was in danger and tried to move it out of harm’s way when both were struck by the oncoming train, deputies said.

Additional information wasn’t released.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and to the train crew,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Maxie is about 50 miles northwest of Biloxi.

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This story was originally published August 25, 2023 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Man dies trying to save tied-up dog from oncoming train, Mississippi deputies say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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